AI, Automation and the Future of Work

Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) may sound like technology better suited to the pages of a science fiction novel, but ready or not – here it comes. Before long, the likes of robot shop workers, self-driving cars and AI-driven smart home assistants will become fully integrated into our everyday lives. But, to paraphrase the words of Jurassic Park's Dr Malcolm: "scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." An article published by the Guardian meditates on the changes the tech will bring our way and contemplates its long-term impact on the world of work. Up first, the optimist's perspective; so far most economists or technology experts can attest that automation has created more roles than it has destroyed.